View source for Kenneth Thomas (chess player)

{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2024}}

'''Kenneth Thomas''' (born February 24, 1938) was [[Chief Financial Officer]] of the [[United States Chess Federation]] from April 23 to December 31, 2004. He took over the position of CFO of the USCF during a period of great financial distress, with the [[United States Chess Federation|USCF]] having lost money seven years in a row, with total losses amounting to $1.7 million. He was hired by [[Bill Goichberg]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=About |url=https://www.hackettstownchessclub.org/about#:~:text=Kenneth%20Thomas,%20born%20February%2024,restored%20the%20USCF%20to%20profitability. |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=Hackettstown Chess Club |language=en-US}}</ref> Because the USCF was in severe financial difficulty, he agreed to work for far below the normal salary. He restored the federation to profitability and financial solvency.

Ken Thomas was born in [[Mead, Oklahoma]] during the great [[Dust Bowl]]. Three of his siblings died of starvation and Ken nearly died as well. After [[World War II]], Ken with his family moved to [[New Jersey]]. He graduated from [[Bound Brook High School]] there.<ref name=":0" />

Thomas served in the [[United States Army Ordnance Corps]] from 1961 to 1964 as a [[sergeant]]. He worked in [[nuclear weapon]] assembly. He worked in the [[Nuclear Weapons Laboratory]] in [[Sandia Base]], near [[Albuquerque, New Mexico|Albuquerque]], [[New Mexico]].  He was a mechanic in the internal workings of [[Nuclear Weapons]].

Later he was transferred to [[Lüdenscheid]], [[West Germany]], and attached to the German army, the [[Bundeswehr]] where he worked on secret weapons in the [[British Sector]]. He speaks [[German language|German]]. He traveled all over [[Western Europe]] arming and disarming [[nuclear weapons]]. He also played chess there and twice participated in the [[European Army]] Championships in [[Kaiserslautern]], [[Germany]].

After completing his military service, he graduated from the [[University of Houston]] in 1972 with a [[Bachelor of Business Administration]] and from that school's [[Five-year Professional Program]] (now [[MBA]]) in 1974. He bought a home in [[Hackettstown, New Jersey]], where he lives today. He founded the [[Hackettstown Chess Club]] in September 1972.<ref name=":0" />

Long an active chess organizer, tournament director, and tournament player, he has been editor of [[Atlantic Chess News]] and a member of the board of directors of the [[New Jersey Chess Federation]]. He is currently the treasurer of the NJSCF. Thomas was an auditor for [[Litton Industries]] and [[Thomas & Betts]] and later was controller for [[Visiting Health Service]] of [[Morris County, New Jersey]], and controller for [[Family Intervention Services]] of [[South Orange, New Jersey]]. He was an [[adjunct professor]] and the accounting manager and [[director of Planned Giving]] and taught [[managerial accounting]] and [[internal accounting]] courses at [[Centenary College of New Jersey|Centenary College]] of Hackettstown, New Jersey.

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20051104221359/http://uschess.org/news/press/uspr0415.php April 23, 2004 Press Release #15 of 2004: USCF Appoints New CFO]

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[[Category:1938 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Bryan County, Oklahoma]]
[[Category:American chess players]]
[[Category:University of Houston alumni]]
[[Category:United States Army soldiers]]
[[Category:American chief financial officers]]